slide presentation available

TIDCA Spring 2012
March 3, 2012
Thousand Islands Museum
• Hunting Decoys of Northern
New York
• Part 3 of Lesser Known Carvers
of the Thousand Islands
• Decoy Update: news, upcoming
events, announcements
Hunting Decoys
of
Northern New York
based on a presentation of decoys to be
displayed at 2012 Midwest Decoy
Collectors Association’s National Show
Ruddy Duck by James Barnhardt
Snyder, NY
rig of 28 decoys carved from 1917-1926 for his own use
Julius E. Mittlesteadt [1888-1957]:
(Buffalo area)
• made decoys for his own use, family
and friends; most were used in the
Buffalo, Lake Erie, Niagara River area
• hunted and made decoys with his son
Robert, who later had a camp at
Dresden, Seneca Lake
• carved decoys for many different
species
Drake White-Winged Scoter
Drake Hooded
Merganser
Chester Schutte
(1886-1957)
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•
from 1939 newspaper article
Rochester
began carving
around 1914
made a rig of cast
aluminum decoys
in 1920s
hunted in a
number of areas
carved many
different species
American Coot
Moses Semmel
(attributed)
very early decoys, at least 3 canvasbacks known
H. Seymour “Putt” Smith
Dresden Bay Carvers
(1878-1947)
• wide bodies with rounded
bottoms
• most decoys made in 1920s
and 1930s
• taught carving in 1940s
“Putt” Smith drake canvasback
Richard “Dick” Morehouse,
Seneca Falls (1909—1982)
“snotty-nose”
canvasbacks
Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Ithaca
(1874-1927)
• naturalist
• Ornithologist
• painter
5 canvasback decoys known
Maurice “Bunt” Dowd,
Union Springs
(1906-2004)
preening black duck
Weedsport, NY
Harvey A. Stevens (1847-1894)
George W. Stevens (1856-1905)
1. The Essential Guide to Stevens Decoys – Volume
One by Shane Newell (2004); and then in
(2008) The Essential Guide to Stevens Decoys
- Collector’s Edition
2. The Stevens Brothers: their Lives, the Times,
and their Decoys by Peter & Peggy Muller
(2009)
Immature Drake Goldeneye
Hen (?)
Drake Bufflehead
Kenneth I.
“Ken” Harris
(1905-1981)
Woodville
• began carving in
late 1920s
• full-time in 1944
• produced 4,600
decoys in 1948
hen mallard c. 1950
hen green-winged teal c. 1948
George D. Oliver, Watertown
(1840-1924)
broadbill decoy c. 1895
lived and worked in Watertown, but he was raised in
Waddington - St. Lawrence River
smaller, life-size bodies, with beveled bottom edge
– similar to early LaFlair decoys
Oliver experimented with different methods of
rigging decoys
Byron Bates, Three Mile Bay
(1891-1964)
used pictures in a Mason catalog as models for his decoys
James E. Stanley,
Cape Vincent
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•
•
•
•
(1855-1927)
born in Australia
sailor (age 12)
bird collecting trips
to Greenland and the
Amazon
sailor on Great
Lakes
moved to Cape
Vincent about 1900
Harold MacGrath (1871-1932), novelist & screen writer
drake goldeneye
seagull
confidence
decoy
Samuel J. Denny, Jr.
Clayton
(1874-1953)
• large family (15)
• made decoys mostly
in the winter
• carved 1900 to early
1950s
• estimated he carved
5,000 decoys
1894 – 20 years old
Sam Denny black duck
scratch painting on head and body
drake redhead –
blended paint, no
combing
drake goldeneye –
low head model
Frank L. Clark
Clayton
(1875-1958)
hen broadbill - example of a “Pseudo-Denny”
decoy (“Decoy Magazine” Jan/Feb 1991)
Chancy Patterson
Wellesley Island
(1904-1994)
• Chancy’s father,
Charles Patterson
(1867-1937), also
made decoys
1982 Clayton Decoy Show
preening drake redhead
Patterson
2nd preener in collection of Milwaukee Public Museum
Alexandria Bay (Alex Bay), NY
• middle of the Thousand Islands area
• home to many important decoy carvers
• discuss 7 of the better known carvers
• conclude with one additional, newly
recognized carver
Chauncey Wheeler
Alexandria Bay
(1862-1937)
1925 hunting trip
c. 1930-1935 canvasback pair
black duck c. 1930
Frank E. “Goldie”
Coombs
Alexandria Bay
(1882-1958)
• note missing ring
finger on left hand
• credited with
originating highneck style
• popularizing may
be a better term
Frank and Abbie, c. 1917
broadbills were Coombs’ most
numerous decoy, painted more
hens than drakes
drake canvasback –
rarer species
hen goldeneye – fine
stipple painting
Augustus A.
“Gus” Rogers
Alexandria Bay
(1892-1938)
• for years, his decoys
were identified as by
Wheeler
• first published info.
on Rogers was
Decoys of the
Thousand Islands
• second article in
1994
hen broadbill
high-head hen goldeneye
Roy A. Conklin, Jr.
Alexandria Bay
(1909-1967)
Conklin
1953 newspaper article
drake goldeneye
black duck from his personal
hunting rig, c. 1935-40
Frank Capron
Alexandria Bay
(1868-1933)
made decoys mostly from 1915-1925
drake canvasback - fine combing on back and sides
John Edward “Ed or Punkins” Dingman
Holland Street,
Alexandria Bay
(1872-1957)
Ed Dingman mergansers
Photograph thought
to be “Punkins”
Dingman (left) and
Chauncey Wheeler
(seated), c. 1900
Fairman Davis
Alexandria Bay
(1884-1953)
photo c. 1910
goldeneye hen, c. 1920,
carved in Henderson
Harbor
• Clovis LeFebvre (1850-1933)
• George Blevins (1867-1928)
• Cyriel Heath (1901-1962)
• Edward Sweet (1907-1978)
Raymond “Ray” Rogers
Alexandria Bay
(1898-1969)
carved a rig of 85 decoys
in 1942
several known since mid 1970s, but the maker was unknown
Bert Hutchinson
Cyriel Heath
Ray Rogers
Rogers
c. 1936-38
Francis T.
“Frank” Louis
Ogdensburg
(1878-1964)
• operated Louis’ Decoy
Works 1910-1925
• produced mostly
broadbills and
goldeneyes, with a few
redheads
Frank Louis drake redhead
earlier tack eye, later decoys had glass eyes
Rosh Douglas, Ogdensburg
(1878-1962)
• carved his first rig in 1900s
• most commercial decoys
made 1940s & 1950s
Douglas drake red-breasted merganser
LaFlair family: Tick Island, St. Lawrence
River
• Rivermen – commercial fishermen, market
gunners, guides, boat builders, boat pilots
• Richard (Dick) LaFlair (1856-1942): carved
mostly1890-1910; 3 sons who also carved
• John (1890-1926): carved mostly 1915-1925
• Ed (1891-1971): carved between 1920-1940;
produced the best carved decoys
• Lawrence (1897-1971): most prolific, carved
until 1960s
Drake canvasback by Ed LaFlair
Lesser Known Carvers
of the
Thousand Islands
Part 3: March 3, 2012
c. 1950
William L. (Bill) Barlow (1908-1992)
• born in Burlington, Vermont, son of Louis L. and
Sadie Lavine Barlow
• educated in Clayton Schools
• Bill worked a variety of jobs prior to WWII
including blacksmith, bartender, and fishing
guide
• became a machinist, and tool and die maker, and
during the war commuted to Rochester
• also worked at NY Air Brake (Watertown), and
Frink America and Graphic Control (both in
Clayton)
• continued guiding fishermen and was a charter
member of the Clayton Guides Association
guide boat built by Bill c. 1952 from a kit
ordered from Chris Craft
Bill Barlow, and
his son Ed, with
one of Ed’s first
muskies, c. 1948
• Bill was an avid duck hunter prior to WW II,
usually hunting with Leonard Denny, Oliver and
Frank Bogenschutz, and Roland Garnsey
• they sold many of the ducks they shot, getting
$2.00 each for broadbills and goldeneyes; $2.503.00 each for blacks, redheads, and canvasbacks
• they liked to hunt broadbills and goldeneyes
since they flew in larger flocks – more to shoot
• typically each hunter would bring 2 bushel
baskets of decoys to the hunt – in 1938, Bill
made several dozen broadbills and goldeneyes
• Bill’s decoys were made with the assistance of
Sam Denny, especially in regard to the painting
• almost all are marked with date and initials
• lack the plugs from a holding device that are
typically found on Denny decoys
• Bill showed the decoys he made to Sam Denny
– Sam remarked that they were pretty good, but
not as good as his
• Bill’s hunting rig included Sam Denny black
duck and canvasback decoys – Bill stated that
all the hunters liked the Denny decoys since
they moved or swam back and forth in a natural
manner while at anchor
Bill Barlow
Frank Bogenschutz
Decoys by Unknown Makers
Two Different Styles
March 2005 Frank & Frank auction
Russ Goldberger’s website February 2010
2 plugs from a holding device
March 2011 Frank & Frank auction
2 plugs from a holding device
letter/number ID code
drake redhead for sale at the
2011 April MDCA show
letter/number ID code
from Great Lakes Decoy Interpretations by Gene
& Linda Kangas (published summer 2011), page91
sold on eBay December 2011
no evidence of plugs from a holding device
Suggest we call this carver Mr. B
• for their preliminary association with the
Burtch decoys
Sold at Blanchard’s July 17, 2009 auction; Sackets Harbor
written on the bottom. Same or similar decoys sold at
Blanchard ‘s November 24, 2007 auction, and Blanchard ‘s
November 25, 2006 auction.
1 of 10 decoys from a home in Cape Vincent
2 plugs from a holding device
Initials RS
Suggest we call this carver Mr. S
• for the initials RS on the Cape Vincent group
• because the others were identified as from
Sackets Harbor
Decoy Update:
• Schedule of Events
• Local News
• Announcements
• March 16-18: Ohio Decoy Collectors
and Carvers Association, Westlake,
OH (35th show)
• March 22-24: Great Lakes Decoy
Association, Westlake, OH
- Guyette et. al. auction, March 23
- display of Thousand Islands decoys,
poolside March 23
• March 31: New Jersey Decoy
Collectors Association, Parkertown,
NJ (20th show)
• April 1: Frank & Frank spring
auction, West Creek, NJ
• April 13-14: East Coast Decoy
Collectors buy, sell, swap, St.
Michaels, MD
• April 21-22: Lang’s Sporting
Collectibles Auction (on-line sale)
• Midwest Decoy Collectors Assoc. Show
- April 24 (Tues.): room-to-room trading
- April 25 (Wed.): seminar Northern NY
Hunting Decoys; auction preview
- April 26-27 (Thur.- Fri.): Guyette et. al.
auction
- April 27-28 (Fri.-Sat.): MDCA show and
display of Northern NY decoys
• May 4-5: Havre de Grace Decoy Show
(31st annual), Havre de Grace, MD
• July 12-13 (Thur.-Fri.): Copley Auction,
Plymouth, MA
• July 14 (Sat.): decoy presentation and
appraisals at Clayton TI Museum
• July 15-16 (Sun.-Mon.): Decoys
Unlimited Auction, Cape Cod, MA
• July 17-18 (Tues.-Wed.): Guyette et. al.
Auction, Portsmouth, NH
• July 20-21 (Fri.-Sat.): 44th Clayton
Decoy, Wildlife Art, & Sporting
Collectibles Show
- July 20: Blanchard Auction, Art Knapp
Hunting Decoy Contest, Shore Dinner
- July 21: Jack Sweet gunning pairs contest,
Ken Harris gunning rigs contest, silent
auction closes
- TIDCA will host a display at the 2012
Clayton Show: the display will feature
cork hunting decoys by Ken Harris.
- Volunteers to help move the display cases
on Thursday and Saturday, and to take
turns watching the display during the
show, would be appreciated.
If you have more questions, what more
information, or have information to share:
Tom Eckert
255 William Street
PO Box 43
Cape Vincent, NY 13618
315-654-2902
teckert@twcny.rr.com
(just a word of warning;
I don’t check my e-mail every day)